Acetylene-gas generator.



J. H. MINER.

AGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 13, 1911.

1 ,950, 58. Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

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TAKES4 H. MINEB, 0F LUMBEBTON, MISSISSIPPI.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

Specication of Letters Patent.

'Patented Jail. 14,1913.

appunti@ and December 1a, 1911. semina. 865,549.

'citizen -of the United States, residing at Lumberton, 'Mississipph have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acety Iene-Gas Generators, of which the followlng is a specification. j

My present invention relates to improvements in acetylene gas generators of the carbid-feed type. l

All ofthe valves governing the feed oi carbid toithe water of which l am aware, while they serve to properly cut oli' the carbid, do' not close air-tight, the result o'f which is that the carbid within the carbid holder is more Vor less subject to the action of l.the moisture within the water chamber, and

where the/*gas is not drawn upon for any material length oftime, the carbid is not kept fresh, and considerable loss ensues.

The present invention has for its object to prevent'this access of moistureto the carbid, to prevent any excess of feed or over feeding, to insure the positive closing of the main valve when necessary to prevent over feeding.

yhereinafter With these and other objects in view, the invention includes the novel construction described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in

` is preferably of inverted conical shape and terminates in a delivery opening 3. YThe delivery opening 3 is normally closed by an inwardly opening valve 4' provided with an upwardly extending stem la 'guided by a spider 4b. As the bottom wall of the hopper is o f inverted conical shape I nd that a very simple and eihcient form of valve is that in which a weight or heavy body is lever 5 fulcrumed on an arm 6 depending f from the carbid receptacle. To the outer or free end ofv'the lever 5 is connected .the

lower end of a weigh-ted rod 7 connected Aat its upper end to one end of a lever 8^fulcrumedupon an arm 9 extendingupward from the upper side of the carbid chamber, which upper side is also of substantially cone shape. The weighted rod normally keeps lever 5 depressed so thatthe valve is allowed to close by gravity so that no carbid drops into thewater.

lWhen pressure of gas beneath the bell lowers due to the as being drawn -oi through the outlet pipe and the necessity for' more carbid, the bell lowers until it contacts with the end 8'* of the lever 8. This pulls upwardly on the rod 7 ,and rocks lever 5, causmg it to push upward on stem or rod c raising the valve and permitting carbid to drop through into the -wateruntil the pressure of the generated gas is suilicient to raise the bell, when lowering of lever 5 permits the valve to quickly close by gravity and cut o' a further feed of carbid.

lt is rendered imperative, by reason of the regulations of the re underwriters, that any valve used must be an inwardly opening valve. But any inwardly opening valve, when it closes, while it will e ectually cut off further feed,- yet will not close gas tight because gas will necessarily work its way through between the particles of carbid which are clamped, in the closing of the valve, between the valve and its seat. rilhis is a serious objection if the generator stands for any material length of time without the carbid being drawn upon as the slow and gradual access of moisture laden as tends to deteriorate the carbid. To avoi this objection and edect a gas tight joint or seal, l provide the vertical rod 4 with a disk c of rubber or like exible elastic material which, when the valve is closed, presses at its edge against a depending flange surroundin the delivery opening of the carbid receptac'e and eects a gas tight seal. The valve is provided with a funnel shaped opening ed and the upper end of the rod 4 entends into this and is capable of limited vertical movement before lifting the weighted valve.

When the lever raises the rod 4 the rod first moves upward without raisin the valve, causing the iexible disk to be s oved u ward into the funnel sha ed opening wllaich effects the closing of thev exible member in a manner similar to the closing of an umbrella. Further upward movement lifts the valve while retaining the flexible member d nected to the `short arm 14 of the two-armed v in its folded position. The vertical rod 4 is guided into a cylindrical recess e formed in the lower portion of the valve 4 and continuous with the funnel shaped opendownward to a point below the edge of the4 bell, and thence upward, where it is conlever pivotally mounted on the edge of the water tank, the other end of which constitutes an. indicating arm l15. When the carbid chamber is full, the springs will allow the carbid chamber to "settle, and the long arm or indicator will lie in a vertical position, but as the carbid chamber is emptied, the indicating arm will be swung over Witnesses:

toward a horizontal position, thus indicating, by its position, the amount of carbid in the hopper.

Having thus described my invention what .I claim is:

1. In an acetylene gas generator avcarbid hopper having a delivery opening and a depending flange around said opening, an inwardly opening gravity closing valve for controlling the carbid feed, a vertical rod -in operative engagement with .said valve, means for moving the rod upward to open the valve, a disk of flexible resilient material carried by said rod and coperating-with said depending Bange, when :the valve is closed, to effect a gas tight joint, and means for effecting the folding of said disk as the valve is opened. v

2. vIn an acetylene gas generator, a carbid hopper having a delivery opening and a depending iange around said opening, an inwardly opening valve coperatin .with said opening for cont-rolling the carbid feed, said valve having a funnel-shaped opening in `its lower side, a vertical rod movably sustained within said flange and having its upper end in line with said funnel-shaped opening, means for elevating` said rod to unseat the valve, and a disk of flexible re` silient material carriedv by' said rod and arranged to be carried by the upward movement of said rod into said funnel-shaped opening to effectfoldin of the disk.

In testimony' whereo I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

" JAMES H. MINER.

C. E. LAUsoN, C. O. STEVENS. 

